Un amour de jeunesse (2011) 4/10 Boring French drama about an unsympathetic possessive girl who can't forget her first love.
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (2011) 5/10 As a kid I liked the comic books, although, if you're honest, they don't have that much to offer, except for a well told story. The film doesn't add much, unless it's some extra action scenes that, alas, are often somewhat confusing.
Giliap (1975) 6/10 After the lack of success of Giliap, Roy Andersson quit making feature films, until his comeback with Songs From the Second Floor in 2000. There is a reason for the film not being a success, yet the first half does have some nice elements in which one can recognize the seeds of his later masterpieces, in particular a strange mixture of absurdism and despair.
A Dangerous Method (2011) 6/10 Talkative costume drama about Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud and Sabina Spielrein (first a patient, then a colleague of the two) directed by - and this is hard to believe - David Cronenberg. The point the film seems to make is that the development of psychoanalysis was hindered by the fight between the two men and that Spielrein therefore maybe was the more valuable figure. But well, who cares?
Rundskop [Bullhead] (2011) 7/10 Grim and powerful drama about a Belgian cattle farmer, involved in shady steroid businesses. A pity that the plot has become somewhat muddy due to some unnecessary elements that have been added to the main story.
The Parking Lot Movie (2010) 8/10 Simple but hilarious documentary about a parking lot in Charlottesville, Virginia, mainly made up of interviews with a number of the parking lot attendants, who are a bunch of overqualified, free-spirited anthropology and philosophy grad students despising SUV-drivers and hating the rest of (car owning) humanity.
Toy Story 3 - wonderful film, it was like watching a "normal" movie, not a cartoon. Everything is so well done, elaborated and imaginative, a masterpiece! 10/10
"Papurika" (aka "Paprika") (Satoshi Kon, Japan, 2006) On screen I watched this interrresting manga which deals with many (too many?) themes, from dreams to psychology and japanese mythology and nuclear fear. Sometimes very inventive the whole remains a bit confuse and would have deserve a longer running time. This movie summarize all Kon's previous works and was supposed to be the end of a cycle. Interresting but a bit frustrating. 7,5/10
"Toki o kakeru shôjo" (aka "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time") (Mamoru Hosoda, Japan 2006) On screen too, this interressant Manga for adolescents. A bit long sometimes, some nice sequences too. The graphic design is very banal except perhaps the settings. For burgeoning teens. 7/10
"Dead of Night" (Bob Clark, USA/Canada/UK 1974) Interresting horror movie about a soldier said to be killed in Vietnam who, one night, comes back to his family, but very different. At the same times some awfull murders are commited in the area. Low budget but very creepy horror movie. The crescendo of the atmosphere of horror is very good and the acting of Richard Backus terrifying !! A good exploitation movie. 7/10r
"Reign of Terror" (Anthony Mann, USA 1949) Very strange and interresting Mann's movie. During the french revolution Robespierre wants to be the dictator of France. In a small black book he notes all the people who must be eliminated... One day this book seems to disappear... the fiends of Robespierre think that if they get the book it will stop him... But many people think that way too... And lot of people are ready to to everything to get the black Book. Strange vision of French revolution, made in a pure expressionist style with the great John Alton on photography the directing and editing are also huge. A movie to discover. 8,5/10
"Spalovac mrtvol" (aka"The cremator", Juraj Herz Czechoslovakia 1969) A masterpiece of european cinema made during the short Prague Spring, a wonderfull movie about the raise of nazism in Czechoslovakia but many more too... Huge directing and editing, very modern for the time, wonderfull b/w photography and excellent acting of the main character (Rudolf Hrusínský) (he's in all the scenes). A must to see. 9,5/10
"Human Desire" (Fritz Lang, USA 1954) Adaptation of Zola's novel "La bête humaine" Lang put the action in present in a small railroad town. A dark story of love and murder. The setting here are very important to reinforce the feeling of coldness, the inhumanity of the atmosphere. Very good acting of Glen Ford, Gloria Grahame and especialy, Broderick Crawford. 9/10
"Le grand jeu" (Jacques Feyder, France 1934) A rich boy Pierre (Pierre Richard-Willm) spends all his money with his lover Florence (Marie Bell). One day he's ruined and must leave the country. He engages in the french foreign legion and is sent to Morocco. There he meets a girl who looks very similar to Florence except the hair color and the voice, Irma. He learns quickly that Irma was injured some months ago and lost her memory...Are they the same person ? Nice exotic melodrama with a gret directing of Feyder (as usual) and the story of Feyder very inventive (anticipate the work of Bunuel and Hitchcock...). Nice movie 8,5/10
"The General Died at Dawn" (Lewis Milestone, USA 1936) Great exotic adventure movie. The story of an agent (Gary Copper) who must bring money to chinese resistance fighters to allow them buying guns. But the cruel general Yang (Akim Tamiroff excellent) wants to stop him. Good screenplay with some impressive sequences (the beginning, the collective suicide...). A good dose of humor too. A good classic. 8,5/10
"Cartes sur table" (aka "Attack of the Robots") (Jesus Franco, France/Spain 1966) A great detective movie with of course Eddie Constantine as the detective with pretty girls and lot of whisky. A wierd story of a secret organization who kidnap people of the rare rhesus factor 0 and transform them in killer robots guided thanks to special glasses... Crazy screenplay mixing thriller, adventure, sci-fi... no deep characters and psychology but very entertaining. The directing and photography are good as in every early Franco's movie when he was still ambitious... a rarity to discover 8/10
"Sans lendemain" (aka "There's No Tomorrow") (Max Ophüls, France 1940) A nice drama about a woman pushed to work in nightclub as a dancer to grow up her son. One night she meets an ancient lover she met inn Canada. Now he's rich and they once more fall in love. She wants to hide her life to himand will compromise with pimp to get money... but she'll have to pay back... Nice Directing, the genius of Ophüls is obvious especialy in the graet camera moves. The acting of Edwige Feuillère is good too. A nice one. 8/10
"Une histoire immortelle" (aka "The Immortal Story") (Orson Welles, France 1968) Originaly made for TV but then later realised in theatres the story is adapted from a novel by Karen Blixen. The story of a rich merchant who will pay the daugther of the man he pushed to suicida and a poor sailor to play the role of characters of a mythic sailor's story... Strange movie once more mutilated and previously thought to be the part of a larger work that will never be. Strange atmosphere and a good performace of Jeanne Moreau. A strange object indeed. 7,5/10
"Tarzan's Desert Mystery" (Wilhelm Thiele, USA 1943) In this adventure tarzan will cross the desert to get a plant to cure a dreadfull fever. He will tame a wild horse, fight nazis spies, giant lizards, a giant spider... Saves a girl from hanging... with the help of Cheeta. Very entertianing. 7/10
"Zombies on Broadway" (Gordon Douglas, USA 1945) Very funny adventure of two publicists who have to find a true Zombie on an island where a mad scientist (Lugosi of course) tries to create such zombies in a scientific way with a secret serum... Very funny and entertaining. 7/10
@theoffice911 You know me :) I only watch oldies... Home I've got a bit more than 3500 movies, 98% made before 1980... but last month I've watched "Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical" 2005 !!
When I'll be a billionaire, I will direct a movie called "The Revenge of the Titans". It would be a story set in 1908 where Abraham Lincoln, married to Eleanor Roosevelt, would fight the evil George Washington to get control over Australia. Then we'll see how Hollywood likes it...
"The Crimson Pirate" (Robert Siodmak, USA 1952) What a movied !! Awsome and completly crazy !! Changing completly from style Siomack directed this excellent pirate adventure comedy with much fun (it seems too indeed). Incredible exotics aventures (attack of a boat with a hot-air balloon, submarines, self-made tanks to attack the fortress...) of Burt Lancaster as captain Vallo, the crimson pirate, with a bunch of awsome acrobatics for those who had forgotten he was first an acrobat... Wonderfull directing, and settings, huge technicolor. This movie is just fun !! 9/10
"The Invisible Woman" (A. Edward Sutherland, USA 1940) This second sequel of the Invisible Man is a very funny comedy (that's explain the director who's not a horro specialist at all). Incredible story of a crazy professor (John Barrymore) who search a guinea-pig to test his new machine that makes people invisible... But his guinea-pig is not as he was expecting it... It's a pretty girl who works as a model... He accepts :) But some thieves want to steal the machine for bad pupose... A very funny comedy with lot of rythms by a master of the genre. Very pleasant. One of the rare hollywood movie of that time where you can see a nude woman... But of course she's invisible ;) A very good B 8/10 !!
"Red Planet Mars" (Harry Horner, USA 1952) Strange object, one of the most violent anti-communist movie ever. One scientists (Peter Graves) manages to communicate with Mars. Then the messages coming from the red planet make people think that life on Mars is so easy, a real Utopia. But the consequences are the fall of the occidental civilisation. Of course russians are very happy and ready to invade west... But one day messages from Mars are changing and people realize that the Leader of martians may be... God himself !!! Then thanks to religion the east block falls apart, the evil communists are destroyed and all's right in the best of the worlds !! ... Incredible movie a true UFO in cinema... To discover 6/10...
"Toni" (Jean Renoir, France 1935) Toni is a young italian immigrant in south of France searching for work... He finds a job in a quarry and live with mary his landlady... He marries her even if he's in love with a beautiful spanish girl Josepha. Josepha must marry a brutal guy... One day as she tries to steal her husband's money to run away, she kills him. Toni decides to help her... A very fine and simple drama, which sounds sometimes naive but indeed, it makes it's strenght. The directing is incredibly modern for that time and prove the genius of Renoir. Great one 8,5/10.
"Track of the Cat" (William A. Wellman, USA 1954) Very unusual western wich looks like more to an initiatory movie. In an isolated ranch during a snowy winter the cattle is attacked by a big panther... Curt (Robert Mitchum) and his brother Art go to hunt the cat... Art is killed Curt brings back his body to the ranch and decides to track the cat alone... At the ranch the tensions between the members of the family are increasing... A very strange movie, with a great work on colors (obvious when you watch it) and a very strange and disturbing story. Very good 8,5/10
"Fallen Angel" (Otto Preminger, USA 1945) Made just one year after "Laura" this excellent film noir tells the story of a broke man Eric (Dana Andrew) who arrives in a small town. At the bar he meets a beautiful girl Stella (Linda Darnell beautiful) and an ex-cop. He falls in love with Stella and promise her to find money to leave the town. He meets also a spiritualist Professor Madley (John Carradine) he helps to get money. At the show he meets a rich heiress (Alice Faye) he marries to get the money but then Stella is murdered... and he's suspected... Excellent movie well directed and acted... 8,5/10
"Leák" (aka "Mystics in Bali") (H. Tjut Djalil, Indonesia 1981) Researching a book that takes her to Bali and the black magic cult of Leák, Cathy meets an evil witch which promises to train her in the dark arts. Tricked, Cathy is turned into a Penanggalan; a flying vampire with internal organs hanging from her neck. It is now up to the local holy men who are then enforced to do battle with the forces of evil. The Indonesian cinema of those times was simply huge... Complete Z movies without any complex but who cares ?? Just guilty fun to watch those weird things.... Love them. 3/10 for Z fans 10/10 !!
"De Mayerling à Sarajevo" (aka "From Mayerling to Sarajevo") (Max Ophüls, France 1940) Part of the movies Ophüls made in France before he goes to US, this one his mostly the love story between Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire and Sophie Chotek, a Czech countess... from thier meeting to thier assassination in Sarajevo. It's not really an historical movie even if the background is the "great" history. Not the best Ophüls indeed but Edwige Feuillère as Sophie is beautiful and some sequences are typical of Ophüls art. 7,5/10.
"Split Second" (Dick Powell, USA 1953) First movie of the great actor Dick Powell and an excellent film-noir. Two thieves scape from jail and took some hostages in an abandoned town in the désert near Yucca Flats just one day a nuclear test is planed... A great suspense with an apocalyptic ending. Good directing and acting. A good beginning for Powell. And a bit ironic if you think to what happened to lots of people who were involved in Powell "The Conqueror"... 8,5/10 Very important note : this movie is not a pre-quel to the excellent "the Beast of Yucca Flats" (1961) which begins just after the explosion of the bomb...
The Mistress of Spices (2005) 2/10 Indian spice bazaar owner in San Francisco has special gifts: the spices speak to her and permit her to see the future and help people. Only, she is not allowed to ever leave her store, fall in love or be touched by anyone, or else she will lose her power. Yeah, whatever. Total crap.
Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie (1972) 5/10 Each time a group of wealthy friends sit together to have dinner, they are interrupted by one event or another. Louis Bunuel's point seems to be to make fun of the bourgeoisie, which maybe was amusing or even malicious in 1972, but today isn't very relevant.
Toast (2010) 6/10 Coming-of-age film based on the life of food journalist Nigel Slater, set in the sixties in the British Midlands. It's sort of cute, funny and nicely made, but never feels like it really has something to say.
Tian bian yi duo yun [The Wayward Cloud] (2005) 7/10 A disturbing urban romance by Malaysian/Taiwanese director Tsai Ming-Liang featuring a porn actor and a woman inhabiting a dreary apartment building. It's weird (watermelons are flooding Taipei while it suffers from an unprecedented drought) and whimsy (wild musical sequences are randomly inserted in the film), but the slow pace makes it hard to really enjoy.
Young Adult (2011) 7/10 There is a lot of cliché and artificiality in Young Adult, and it hardly avoids the pitfalls of that terrible genre called romantic comedy, but fortunately it is just about nasty and ugly enough to make things interesting. And it's impossible not to be impressed by Charlize Theron's performance.
Intouchables (2011) 7/10 French feel good movie to the third degree: it's not the end of the world if you're a quadriplegic; criminals from the banlieu can in fact be nice people; it's possible for the rich and the poor to bond. Nothing new or surprising, but the film is made with charm and intelligence.
"Sous les toits de Paris" (aka "Under the roofs of Paris") (René Clair, France 1930) An early french speaking movie by one of the most important director of that time. A simple story of love in Paris's downtowns. But a great directing with nice angles of view and an interresting work on the use of sound at it's dawn by a director who was at that time a defensor of silent. Indeed here you have a very interresting approach of the use of sound, with lot of musics and few dialogs and for example dialogs that are without sound, as if you were the real spaectator and you could not ear what the people say because of music... so you have to guess what they say, and you understant it through the play of tha actors... Interresting movie. 8,5/10
"La furia di Ercole" (aka "The Fury of Hercules") (Gianfranco Parolini, Italy/France 1962) Another great movie with Hercules who come to visit an old king but he discovers he's dead and his Daughter continue his work helped by the evil Menistus (Serge Gainsbourg!!) who want to take the power. But The rebals with the help of Hercules will triumph of the evil. A classical antic movie with Brad Harris as Hercules... and an amazing Serge Gainsbourg... To discover 6,5/10
"The Amazing Quest of Ernest Bliss" (Alfred Zeisler, USA 1936) A nice comedy about a rich young man (Cary Grant) who's boring all the day. He bets with his doctor that he will be able to live one year only by working... Of course he will meet a nice girl and will do the good all around. A nice modern fairy tale with lot of humor and sometimes moving too 7/10
"Bend of the River" (Anthony Mann, USA 1952) A classic of the western of the tandem Man/Stewart. Great direction, wonderfull casting (Stewart/Kennedy/Hudson). Beautifull filming in huge landscapes. A great use of technicolor too. A nice story of a man who'll fight many danger to help settlers in order to forget his past as a thief... but everybody knows this true classic.9/10
"Belle of the Nineties" (Leo McCarey, USA 1934) Very nice movie with the great Mae West. Indeed this is a Mae West Movie, she' wrote the story, the dialogs... Mc Carey is just her assistant here. SThe story of a singer and sexual Bomb (Mae West) who comes to New Orleans after a love affair. She has a great success of course and all men are after her... Very interresting movie with lot of singing and music (Duke Ellington Orchestra !!). Mae West is definityvely not a good actress but she's a presence on screen, she outshine all other characters when she appears... The dialogs are excellent with many sexual allusions... as usual. A nice one 7,5/10
"Most Dangerous Man Alive" (Allan Dwan, USA 1961) Last movie of the incredible Allan Dwan, credited for more than 400 movies during 50 years... This one is as often in Dwan filmography a B movie, with few budget. The story of a mob boss who's betrayed and escapes just before being executed in the gas chamber... But he hides in a place where there is an atomic explosion... and become able to incorporate steel in his own cells... he becomes almost indestructible, bullts, electricity... nothing cant hurt him anymore... He takes his revenge but at the same time become more and more anxious... this new power make him less and less human... In a complete anonymity, with no budget but with talent, Dwan tells us a story that many years later X men and a bunch of other super hero movies won't succeed to tell with millions of $... The lonelyness and despair of this mutant, full of power and unable to live with it simply because his human... Even if broke, a very good and sad movie indeed, interessant mix of Sci-Fi and Film Noir... And also Dwan Legacy, the summary of an incredible career in Hollywood... 8,5/10
"The Time Travellers" (Ib Melchior, USA 1964) Another forgotten Sci-Fi jewel from the vault. The classic story of scientists who are projected in the future in the year 2071... Atomic Holocaust has all destroyed, earth is inhabited by ugly mutans, food is more and more rare... They are saved by some survivors who are building a rocket to leave earth and to fly to Alpha Centauri. But there is not enough supply for them and they tell them that they cant bring them too... They have to built another time machine in one month... But thing wil go wrong... Nice movie on a classic theme but with an interessant treatment. The ending is completly surprising... A good B movie 7,5/10
@theoffice911 ! I just noticed in your last comment that you gave three ten on the three movies made before 1980... perhaps is it a clue for you to guess why I only watch oldies... ;)
"Yoru no onnatachi" (aka "Women of the Night") (Kenji Mizoguchi, Japan 1948) Wonderfull and very movieng melodrama with strong social commitment, about women's condtion in the post WWII Japan... Great directing and filming in the ruins of Tokio after war... Sory of women pushed to prostitution by men, poverty, disaese... The filming is first purely in a neorealism way and finish in the final scene in a complete baroque way in the ruined cimetery... Wonderfull 9,5/10
"You Can't Take It with You" (Frank Capra, USA 1938) One of the best Capra's comedy, with great acting and directing. Some clash of the worlds between two families... And the defense of classic values as self made man, family, religion against state and internationalism... Very funny by the way... 8,5/10
"Carmen Jones" (Otto Preminger, USA 1954) Nice musical, Jazz adaptation of the famous Opera, with Bizet music and a all-black Cast with excellent Dorothy Dandridge. Preminger's favourite movie for many reasons : it was very hard for him tomake this movie, and he said it was his only movie that was a success both with the public and the critics... Nice one. 8,5/10
The Pirates! Band of Misfits (Peter Lord/Jeff Newitt, UK 2012) Well, I really love the Aardman movies. They are so full of lovely little details and incredibly funny. So, it's no surprise I liked the new animation feature, too. There's nothing much to say about the story: It's about pirates who meet Charles Darwin and Queen Victoria and there are big action scenes and chases going on. I had great fun, even if the movie isn't as good as first three Wallace & Gromit films. I think it's very difficult to keep the humor at such a high level for a full feature length movie. Nevertheless, very enjoyable. 7/10
"It" (Clarence G. Badger, Josef von Sternberg, USA 1927) Great love comedy with a classic story of apoor young girl (Clara Bow) who works in a shop and fall in love with the young new boss of the shop... The movie is very pleasant especialy because of the presence of the wonderful Clara Bow. "It" is one of her best performance, definitively... 8,5/10
"Johnny Eager" (Mervyn LeRoy, USA 1941) Nice movie miw of romance and crime with a great couple of actors Robert taylor and Lana Turner and a great performance of Van Heflin who get an oscar for the role. The screenplay is good and the dialogs interresting. The filming is not very original but the whole is pretty good. 7,5/10
"Belle Starr" (Irving Cummings, USA 1941) Nice early technicolor western with a novice Gene Tierney as Belle Starr one of the most famous heroine of the confederate just after civil war. Nice movie with great cast Tierney, Randolph Scott, and Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney will meet some years later in Laura... Nice movie 8/10
"Bluebeard's Eighth Wife" (Ernst Lubitsch, USA 1938) re-watched this true classic of Lubitsch comedy... very good. But evebody knows it 9/10
"The Red Badge of Courage" (John Huston, USA 1951) Great movie about civil war, but mainly a movie about fear and courage. Nice (true) story, huge directing with a special good filming (camera-move, use of close-up, focal length...) A wonderfull b/w photography. And a great Gene Autry in a very impressive performance of acting. Great one 9/10
"Son of Ali Baba" (Kurt Neumann, USA 1952) Ultra kitsch movie in the sam way as Nathan Juran's "the golden blade" with Rock Hudson I commented some months ago. Innocent movie with lot of action, love, full of colors... very entertaining and naive with Tony Curtis as the son of Ali Baba who'll save a princess in distress once more the cute Piper Laurie... good little movie !! 7/10
"Salt of the Earth" (Herbert J. Biberman, USA 1954) Rewatched on a better copy this very important movie in cinema history. And despite many say, it's also a good movie. If you read Bieberman's book about the story of the movie and you watch the result... it's definitively a great movie even i the directing, the editing... The mix of profesional actors and miners is very good... Of course the movie is one-way oriented, but in the good way... and few movies till there have left so many place to women... Not the best movie you'll watch but for many reasons you won't forget it. 10/10
"Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake" (John Cromwell, USA 1942) Excellent adventure movie with of course Tyron Power as the spoiled young count who escape to jail and travel to unknown islands with a friend (John Carradine) become rich collecting pearls and meet a beautiful vahine (Gene Tierney never so beautifull) he will come back to take revenge from his uncle (George Sanders impressive) and find the girl he love Isabel (Frances Farmer) who will betray him... Great movie !! even if no surprises in the script, the filming is good, lot of action, nice editing, and Gene Tierney as Eve is... 9,5/10
"Undercurrent" (Vincente Minelli, USA 1946) Nice and very interresting melodrame with a touch of noir with a great cast : Robert Taylor, Katharine Hepburn, Robert Mitchum. A very sensitive story with characters who live in a dream but who all want to make the dream come true and want to impose this dream to other. Taylor dreams his past life and his "bad brother" to project his own sicknees and guiltiness on him, Hepburn dreams the "bad brother" as the man she always dreamed about... And Mitchum, the banned and dreamed brother, the artist, is the only one who doesn't dream and only try to live, even if hidden and chased... A very good movie more fine than some people seems to consider it... A pure Minellian movie indeed. 8,5/10
"El ataúd del Vampiro" (aka "The Vampire's Coffin", Fernando Mendez, Mexico 1958) The sequel of "El Vampiro" this one very good too, only with a small dose of humour that doesn't exists in the first one. The story is simple but the directing, filming, the photography and light are great, directly transposed from the golden age of horror movies of the 30's with that dose of exotism... Mendez is a true master of horror !! 7,5/10
A small festival on Holllywood Classics... the occasion t re-watch great movies on screen
"Night and the City" (Jules Dassin, UK 1950) Excellent film-noir certainly Dassin's best movie, with an impressive Richard Widmark. Nice metaphor about Dassin's own life... always running out... But everybody knos it !! 9,5/10
"A Blueprint for Murder" (Andrew L. Stone, USA 1953) A nice B noir about a story of poisoning. A young and beautifull woman Lynn (Jean Peters) has poisoned her husband some years ago, and then her step-daughter dies in the same way... If her nephew Doug dies she'll get all the money... But Doug's uncle (Joseph Cotten) is suspicious but he and the police can't get any proof... Nice movie with a very good last sequence... 7/10
"Sky Bandit" (Ralph Staub, USA 1940) Sgt. Renfrew and Constable Kelly of the mounted Police have to find thieves who use a special ray gun to make plaes crash and get the gold they're carrying... But the thieves kidnapp a professor and his daughter to increase the power of the ray gun... One of the episode of the cult serie "Renfrew of the Mounties " this episode is full of action, singing, with a good screenplay... Only for B fans of course 6/10
"Atlas" (Roger Corman, USA 1961) Sword adn Sandals (Peplum) is a difficult and ungratefull genre... But a budgetless Sword and Sandal movie can only be in the best case a So Bad That it's Good movie. This is the case of this mythic movie by Corman... It's completly broke, bad directed, bad acted, ridiculous plot (as often in the genre of course), ten people making an army... pathetic battles... The only interrest of the movie is Barboura Moris cute as usual. 3/10 for Z fans 10/10.
"Il mostro di Venezia" (aka "The Embalmer") (Dino Tavella, Italy 1965) An interresting movie sort of mix between italian gothic horror (Decaying monks, catacombs of Venice) German Krimi (the atmosphere) and Giallo (Serial Killer, Jazz soundtracks). The movie is not very good acted but nice filming and the sequence of the pursuit in the catacombs among the decaying monks is awsome... A movie to discover 7/10)
"Phantom Submarine U-67" (William Nigh, USA 1939) Completly unknown movie (less than 5 votes on Imdb including mine) this is the story of af captain of the US Navy hunting a german submarine during WWI as he could destroy it he choses to save the passengers of the boat the submarine just attacked. In martial court he's fired from the army... Years later he's a professional diver... One day someone asks him to dive on the wreck of the boat he rescued to find a safe containing very important documents... But he'll have to work with a strange man who's in fact the former captain o the Submarine... Of course budgetless movie but with nice screenplay and the presence of Alan Hale as the navy captain... for B fans only 6,5/10
"Kyôryû kaichô no densetsu" (aka "Legend of Dinosaurs and Monster Birds") (Junji Kurata, Japan 1977) Weird movie where a chang in the climat and an eruption of mount Fuji are waking up an aquatic dinosaur and a flying one... A geologist and his girl friend a photograph investigates... The population begins to be terrified... APoor script for this movie. The acting is not very good the filming is sometimes good. The creatures are cheap... 5/10
"Le joueur d'échecs" (aka "Chess Player") (Jean Dréville, France 1938) another adaptation of the famous novel of Henry Dupuis-Mazuel about the scientist who builf robots and who'll help a polish prince to escape hidden in a chess-player robot... Not as good as the wonderfull silent version of Raymond Bernard in 1927. This one is a bit to short to allow Dréville to more develop the story. By the way directing is good, some very nice sequences. Acting too with a great Conrad Veidt. 7,5/10
"Stranger from Venus" (Burt Balaban, USA 1954) Another movie telling the story of an alien from Venus with great power of life and death by his touch who brings a message of peace from Venus. But also a warning to our planet. But once more stupidity of the humans will lead earth nearly to destruction. A nice story directly inspired from the day the earth stood still and the man from planet x, this one is cheap but somewhat moving and touching. Actors are good (it's unusual in those poor B's) and the whole is convincing. A good B. 6,5/10
"A Slight Case of Murder" (Lloyd Bacon, USA 1938) A funny crime comedy about an ex-bootlegger who tries to be honnest and will be catch up with his past... Edward G. Robinson is very funny as the godfather of bad beer in trouble with his family (her daughter wants to marry a cop!!) and the ex members of his gang... A good one 7,5/10
"City for Conquest" (Anatole Litvak, USA 1949) Another very good movie from Litvak (a director to discover indeed) A nice melodrama about the rise and fall (for some of them) of a group of kids of a poor district of New York. One will become a gret dancer, another a boxing champ, another a mob... Nice movie which shows the frenzy of New York in those times, the will of success of people, thier blinding too. A gret cast with James Cagney, Anthony Quinn, Arthur Kennedy, Ann Sheridan... Good Job. 8/10
"Husbands" (John Cassavetes, USA 1970) Perhpas the more cassavetian movie of Cassavetes, all the themes of his work are here, And his style is here very clear especially the close-ups on faces which are the most typical mark of his art. The story of three middle class, middle aged men who are suffocating in thier family and businness lives who decide to take some days of good time after one of thier best friend died... Nice meditation on alienation of our society and social models, about the "maturity" it impose to people and the difficulty to accept this... And a nice trio of actors John Cassavetes, Peter Falk and Ben Gazzara. Nice one 8,5/10
"Shotgun" (Lesley Selander, USA 1955) Excellent B western in the same style as those made by the duo Budd Boetticher/Randolph Scott. A rough movie with tormented characters each with thier dark sides... Even if the ending gives a little hope. Classic story of a mlarshall (Sterling Hayden excellent)who wants to take revenge from the guys who killed his collegue and freind... He'll meet a lost woman (Yvonne de Carlo still bautiful). Nice landscape with great technicolor. The fina duel on horse with a shotgun is unusual and it's ending too... A good western indeed. 8/10
"Chinatown After Dark" (Stuart Paton, USA 1931) A poor B movie about a dark story of a dagger which hide a wonderfull gem. Everybody wants to get it, especialy a dangerous woman Madame Ying Su (Carmel Myers excellent). A supercheap whodunit but entertaining. 6/10
"Bank Alarm" (Louis J. Gasnier, USA 1937) Entertaining poor B movie about a weird story of a couple of G-men Allan and Bobbie who want to inflitrate a dangerous gang of bank robbers. All works bperfectly untill they realize that Allan's sisiter is in love with one of the leader of the gang... Lot of action, gunfights... with rythm. The screanplay is not bad at alll. A good Poor B. 6,5/10
The Speed Reporter" (Bernard B. Ray, USA 1936) Ultra poor B movie about a reporter who want to denounce the corruption of the town, every one seems to be corrupted, the politians, the business men, the journalist too... Richard Talmadge was an acrobat before being actor and director and mainly a second unit director. Here you can watch him climbing, jumping... very entertaining but extremely low budget. 6,5/10
"Swamp Fire" (William H. Pine, USA 1946) Excellent B with the encounter of two of the greatest Tarzans !! Johnny Weissmuller of course and Larry "Buster" Crabbe !! A nice story in the Mississipi's delta about the life of Boat Pilots, love, hate, doom... A nice story who would have deserve a greater budget. A good one 7/10
"Murder on the Yukon" (Louis J. Gasnier, 1940) Another adventure of,the sergent Renfrew... A dark tale of murder and counterfeiter. SErgent Renfrew and Constable Kelly will have a lot to do to solve this case. !! 6/10
"The Outer Gate" (Raymond Cannon, USA 1937) A young ingeneer Tomy in love with his boss's daughter is arrested after 5000$ dissappeared. He condamned to 15 years !! And his boss doe'snt defend him at all. In Prison his dream is only to take revenge. After 5 years the true thief commit suicide and confess. Tomy's free. His ex-boss want to help him now and invit him to live in his own manor... Nice story with a poor budget... 6/10
"What Price Crime?" (Albert Herman, USA 1935) Some mobs are attacking governement warehouses. Agent Grey is on charge. He discover the owner of a nightclub may be involved and be the chief of the gang... He infiltrate the gang but fall in love with chief sister... Some nice filming despite low budget. 7/10
"Titanic" (James Cameron, 1997) I watched the 3D version. Nothing new it's exactly the same movie as Cameron promised (I did'nt care about the change of the stars in the sky...). Characters always seem to me soo predictable. It's well done, nothing more. 7/10.
"Le boulet" (Alain Berbérian, Frédéric Forestier, France 2002) Another great french comedy, with strong social commitment. A bunch of stars, two directors, certainly a lot of money for almost nothing. Two or three good gags... That's all. 4/10
"Smart money" (Alfred E. Green, USA 1931) A good drama/comedy/crime movie with a unique duo James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson. The only movie they'll ever make together. The story of a hairdresser who's also a gambler with lot of chance. He decides to go to the big city to play against the best players... His friends give him all the money they have and trust him... First he's cheated byprofessionals he then become the most important gambler in the city... The attorney want to make him close his casino but has no proofs... But he Robinson has one weak point : blondes... Great mi of comedy, drama and crime... good acting. 8/10
"The Black Castle" (Nathan Juran, USA 1952) A dark story of revenge with a nice cast Boris karloff, Stephen mcNally. In the pure Universal style with great atmosphere. A nice B 7,5/10
"L'assassin habite... au 21" (aka "The Murderer Lives at #21") (Henri-George Clouzot, France 1942) Adapted from the famous novel odf S.A. Steeman, a great crime movie with a strong touch of comedy and black humour. A great directing and acting. 9/10
"Lady Killer" (Roy Del Ruth, USA 1933) Nice and funny crime/comedy with a great James Cagney as a guy who become a king of the gambling and poker but then is involved in robbery with the other members of his gang who kill a witness. He's caught and abandonned by the others... Later he's released because of lack of prooves... Luckily he gets a small role on a movie and become quickly a new movie star and fall in love with a nice and gentle actress. But his old friend want to share his success... A good pre-code movie with a good direction and acting, very funny with lot of rythm. 8/10
"Frankenstein - 1970" (Howard W. Koch, USA 1958) A nice movie which transpose in the present the myth. In 1958 a TV team is filming a tv horror movie in the castle of the last of the Frankenstein (Boris Karloff). The count needs the money to by some materials to make his experiment. He wants to make a creature who'll looks like him but younger... to seduce the petty actress of the team... It's completly cheezy but very entertaining. Directing and filming are not bad... Karloff good as usual... 6,5/10
"The Raid" (Hugo Fregonese, USA 1954) Another good western of the Universal directed by Hugo Fregonese. A dark (and true story) of confederat soldiers hidden in Canada attack a small town in Vermont and burn it all ! Great screenplay, nice directing and colors, and a huge cast Van Heflin, Anne Bancroft, Peter Graves, Daniel Boone... The ending is very unusual and strong... 8/10
"The Strange World of Planet X" (Gilbert Gunn, UK 1958) A brittish sci-fi B movie not so bad. A group of scientists make experiment on magnetic field... they create a hole in earth's magnetic field and cosmic rays iradiate the area... insects becoming giant, people murderous... Creepy and cheap B movie with few budget and sometime ridiculous special effects but entertaining. 6,5/10
On screen watched "Querelle" (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, West Germany/France 1982) The ballet of love and death of two brothers in a phantasmatic setting... A strong movie about homosexuality and brotherhood... Excellent filming, huge settings. A somewhat disturbing movie. 7,5/10
"San daikaijû: Chikyû saidai no kessen" (aka "Earth's Greatest Battle") (Ishirô Honda, Japan 1964) One one the numerous sequels of Godzilla, this one is one of the best, directed by Honda himself. As usual it's a mix of monster movie with thriller and adventure... In this one Godzilla, Mothra and Rodan must fight together an evil three-heade monster form outer space... kitsch and much entertaining. 7/10
"Tout le monde il en a deux" (aka "Fly Me the French Way") (Jean Rollin, France 1974) A french erotic movie by Jean Rollin, the master of horror... A girl is mistekly kidnapped by a secret group of sexual perverts... Her girlfriend and her lover will try to find her back... Lot of erotic scenes and an empty plot as usual... girls are pretty and without any fake of course... That's all. 4/10
"L'attaque du monstre géant suceur de cerveaux de l'espace" (aka "Angriff des Hirnsauger-Riesenmonsters aus dem Weltall") (Guillaume Rieu, France 2010) A very funny short comedy about a monster who come from outer space and suck brain from the skull of his victim. It's a small musical parody of the B movies of the 50's... in the same way as "Refeer Madness, The musical" in 2005. Very funny. 7,5/10
"Caged" (John Cromwell, USA 1950) Prison movies are difficult ones. This one about women in jail is just excellent. The directing is OK but the acting is wonderfull... the fight between Eleanor Parker and her sadistic keeper Hope Emerson is amazing... Nice photography too. A very good movie 9/10...
Last night on screen watched "Blue Velvet" (David Lynch, USA 1986) I did'nt watched it since 1987 when it goes on screen... A good movie with an excellent Dennis Hopper. Stong metapho of pervertion through oedipan relationships and resolution facing the most conform american way of life. All in a nightmarish atmosphere... Good one. 8/10
Watched or re-watched on screen some old silent movies of german expressionism. Nice to see them in 35 mm or even in 16 mm.
"Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens" (F.W. Murnau, Germany 1922) everybody knows it 10/10
"Schloß Vogeloed" (aka "The Haunted Castle") (F.W. Murnau, Germany 1921), Story of a man wrongly accused of murder who'll take the place of a monk before his arrival to get confessions from other people and discover the real murderer. Not the best Murnau at all but he explores here a genre that will have an incredible number of descendants. 7,5/10
"Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari" (Robert Wiene, Germany 1920) The film said to have founded German expressionism. a great one 9,5/10
"Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam" (Carl Boese, Paul Wegener, Germany 1920). Great movie with incredible settings (perhaps more impressive than in Caligari) and wonderful filming. 10/10
In comparition watched some Swedish movies almost of the same time (just some years before). It's striking to see the difference between Swedish realisme and german expressionism.
"Terje Vigen" (aka "A Man There Was") (Victor Sjöström, Sweeden 1917), Sjöström makes the cinema leave the studio to go on location. The sea his also the hero of the movie a dark tale of a man who lost her family because of an english captain who put him in jail as he was bringing food home and who many years later must save this same man from a storm... One of the first flashback in cinema, more than half of the movie is a great flashback. Great 9/10
"Ingeborg Holm" (Victor Sjöström, Sweden 1913). A very touching social drama about a woman who fall into powerty after her husband died and the intitutions put her children away from her... she'll become gradualy insane... very good 8,5/10
"Herr Arnes pengar" (aka "Sir Arne's Treasure") (Mauritz Stiller, Sweden, 1919) Great drama about some scotish soldiers who escape from jail and kill all the family of Sir Arne to steal his treasure. Everyone is murdered except the young Elsalill They want ot go back scotland but the winter is so cold that even the sea is frozen and the boats remain in the ports. As they are waiting the youngest scotish murderer meets Elsalill she can't recognize him and they fall in love... She will discover his identity and will sacrifice herself and betray him. Great movie with some impressive sequences, even if almost 2h00 long you feel it was so shorter !! 9/10
And back to expressionism
"Orlacs Hände" (aka "The Hands of Orlac") (Robert Wiene, Germany/Austria, 1924) Not the best adaptation of this classic story but some very nice sequences and an impressive Conrad Veidt. 8/10
"Dracula" (Tod Browning, Karl Freund, USA 1931) I re-watched this masterpiece of horror with great pleasure. A must to see but evybody already did it 9,5/10
"Joe Dakota" (Richard Bartlett, USA 1957) A must to see B western for all the fans of the genre. The movie is simply... charming ! You just have to watch the first sequance of the arrival of the hero Jock Mahoney to the small town and his encounter with Luana Patten and you'll understand what I mean. Just huge unknown masterpiece. 9/10 Note : The story is a complete copy of the one of "Bad Day At Black Rock" but made in a so different way that you forget it very quick...
"No Room for the Groom" (Douglas Sirk, USA 1952) A small comedy of Sirk with a nice couple Tony Curtis and the cute Piper Laurie. A GI and a pretty girl marry just before he's sent to Corea, when he come back he discover his houseinhabited by all the relatives of his wife under the command of Laurie's mother !! Furthemore Piper didn't tell her mother she got married and her mother want her to marry a rich owner of a cimentary... Not the best movie of Sirk at all, sometime it's still funny. 7/10
"Shadows Over Shanghai" (Charles Lamont, USA 1938) Ultra Poor B movie about a russian teacher working in Shanghai for the US who'll have to carry a very precious amulet to San Francisco. As she has no passport an English friend of her propose her to maeey an american journalist to get quick a passport but it doesn't work and some bad russian guy and japanese general want to get the amulet... all that in one hour. Incredible !! Very cheap. Incredible story with no bucks... and lot of stockshots. For B fans only 5/10
"The Lone Rider and the Bandit" (Sam Newfield, USA 1942) In this adventure the Lone Rider and his friend Fuzzy will have to solve a very strange case. In a small town all the gold prospectors are terrorized by Joaquim Murrieta a dangerous thief supposed to be dead for years... Indeed he will discover that the boss of the saloon re-created Joaquim Murrieta to make miners go away selling thier mines for almost nothing... A routine B western by a master of the genre. For B fans only 5,5/10
"Big Town" (Arthur Hoerl, USA 1932) Another budgetless B movie from the vault. In this one a journalist's fighting corruption and mobs. As someone try to speak he's murdered. He discover that the father of his fiancée may be the chief of the gang... 5,5/10
"Double Exposure" (William Berke, USA 1944) A very funny poor B screwball comedy About the director of a tabloid who is fed-up with his photographers who only make fake photos... He want to get a photographer of a country newspapers <ho makes huge photos... Pat Mavin... But Pat... is a girl. He fall in love with her but she's already engaged and present her fiancé as her brother. A classic story but very funny acting with a nice Chester Moris and a cute Nancy Kelly !! 7/10
"The Call of the Wild" (William A. Wellman, USA 1935) Nice adaptation of the famous novel of Jack London by a director who knows how to film nature. A good acting of the couple Clarke Gable and Loreta Young. 8/10
"Tomorrow at Seven" (Ray Enright, USA 1933) A poor B whodunit but with nice screenplay. A serial Killer the Ace of Spade announce to his next victims thier death but the exact day and hour too. A novelist and his gal investigates with a couple of stupid cops for help. Chester Noris is not bad as the novelist. For B fans only. 6/10
"The Maze" (William Cameron Menzies, USA 1953) The Last movie of Menzies is a true rarity and a cursed movie. A B budget for A ambitions about a great story of a curse adapted of the eponymous novel of the swiss writer Maurice Sandoz in a pure Lovecraft's style. The curse of a scotish count who abandons his fiancée to go back to his castle in Scotland. After two months wthout any news the fiancée and her aunt go to the castle and are attracted by the strange maze in the garden... A very creepy movie despite the lack of budget. 7,5/10
"Le Val d'enfer" (Maurice Tourneur, France 1943) A strong drama about an old widower who lives with his old parents. One day a friend of him dies in an accident and he promises to care about his friend's daughter, a prostitute. He brings her home and fall in love with him. Just after wedding she takes a younger lover and make all what she can to make her husband fire his old parents to hospital... Very dark en cruel love and social drama. Great ! 8/10
"The Colossus of New York" (Eugène Lourié, USA 1958) Great sci-fi movie by a master of the genre. A nice mix between to myths : Frankenstein and the Golem. A mad doctor will save the brain of his son killed in an accident by putting it in a giant robit buil by his second son... Both dont tell him his wife and son are still alive... great mistake... Excellent movie with good acting and a great music and uses of sounds. Indeed I re-watched it on the brand new restored copy. 7,5/10
"Mauvaise graine" (Billy Wilder, Alexander Esway, France 1934) First movie of Billy Wilder. The young son of a rich doctor fall into delinquence and car robbery. He falls in love with the sister of a member of the gang. They want to leave but the boss of the gang do not agree... Nice movie and directing with lot of filming on location and some interresting visual effects. A good first movie. 8/10
"Conquest of Space" (Byron Haskin, USA 1955) Nice Sci-Fi movie about the people in an orbit base aroun earth who are preparing a trip to the moon that become at the last moment a trip to Mars ! Great special effects for that time, huge colors. Without any doubt an inspiration for Kubrick's 2001. 7,5/10
"The Chase" (Arthur Ripley, USA 1946) A completly strange movie which begins like a classic film-noir and change radicaly in a fantasy one when we realize the two realities... A great B movie to discover even if the copy I had was not very good. 7,5/10
"The Stangler" (Burt Topper, USA 1964) Directed only one yeat after the true Boston Strangler was arrested, this movie is less known the Richerd Fleischer one directed few years after with Tony Curtis. Indeed this one is excellent with a nice portrait of a sexual maniac, serial killer with a huge acting performance of Victor Buono. Even if the budget is cheap a great movie ! 8,5/10
"The Flame and the Arrow" (Jacques Tourneur, USA 1950) Pure entertaining adventures movie with once again a wonderfull Burt Lancaster as an Italian Robin Hood fighting to make his country free against evil invaders. If you liked the Crimson Pirate you'll love this one too. Burt Lancaster and his friend Nick Cravat show us once more they are great acrobats, Virginia Mayo is pretty. Just for fun !! 8,5/10
"Robert Mitchum est mort" (Olivier Babinet, Fred Kihn, France, Norway, Belgium, Poland 2010) On screen I watched this strange road-movie about two lost guys a putative actor and his "manager" who travel throughout Europe to find a movie director on the polar circle... Nice characters and nice meetings along the trip but a bit predictable and pointless. A curiosity. 7/10
"Five Minutes to Live" (Bill Karn, USA 1961) A poor B film-noir about a couple of would-like-to-be bankrobbers who kidnap the wife of a bank director to make him open the safes... But the director has a love affair with another girl... A strange movie which is interresting for the acting performance of Johnny Cash himself, as a mad and violent thief who terrorize the banker's wife. A curiosity 6,5/10
"A Cottage on Dartmoor" (Anthony Asquith, UK 1929) One of the last silent movie in England. And a wonderful one. A simple story of a Barber in love with a very nice manicurist. But he's very jealous and when she decides to marry a farmer he becomes mad and try to cut the throat of his rival. Some year later his escapes jail and want to kill them and run to the cottage on Dartmoor. Wonderfull masterpiece of british cinema and also a last hommage to silent. Asquith dd this movie at 27 !! And it's simply incredible ! Some sequences are simply huge the escape, the sequence in theatre, in the barber shop... A must to see 9,5/10
"Souls at Sea" (Henry Hathaway, USA 1937) Great adventure movie directed by the great Hathaway with a great Gary Cooper and a good George Raft. A dark story about slavery, shipwrek, sacrifice and courage. Nice filming and acting. 9/10
"Hitler's Children" (Edward Dmytryk, USA 1943) Yes, this is a propaganda movie but also a nice melodrama. The directing is good and some sequences are impressive. The couple Tim Holt and Bonita Granville is excellent (Bonita Granville will be famous in the movie serie Nancy Drew). The final speech of Tim Holt during the trial is always moving and the end very sad indeed... A nice movie 8/10
"Untamed Frontier" (Hugo Fregonese, USA 1952) A very nice western directed by the excellent Hugo Fregonese. The parallel stories of the fight between cattle farmers and setlers and a dark story of murder and love. Tough guys, huge filming on location in beautiful landscapes of California with an excellent technicolor. Good acting too ofJoseph Cotten, Shelley Winters and Scott Brady. 8,5/10
@RDPL55: I absolutely agree on "A Cottage on Dartmoor". I saw it last year in cinema and was baffled. However, I went the full way and rated it 10/10 :)
@fungus, happy to read that you watched it... yes realy impressive work...
"The Private Affairs of Bel Ami" (Albert Lewin, USA 1947) A great adaptation of the famous novel of Guy de Maupassant. Very faithfull to the book, the story of a guy who seduces women to access to higher social position. But also a man who desperatly search love without being able to... Great screenplay with excellent dialogs. The directing is a bit static but great settings, and excellent acting of George Sanders. 8,5/10
"The Phantom" (Alan James, USA 1931) Ultra poor B movie. A classic Whodunit but funny with lot of characters. Improbable plot, bad directing but interresting pas the presence of ancient silent acors who won't go through talky... as the pretty Allene Ray or veterant Sheldon Lewis... For B fans only 6/10
"Primerose Path" (Gregory La Cava, USA 1940) This movie was at it's time considered as a screwball comedy but indeed it is more a dark social drama. The story of a poor girl Ellie May (Ginger Rogers) whose mother is a prostitude, the father drunk every days, the grand'ma a madam. And the spectator can easyly imagine the way the little sister will follow... She meets a good guy Ed (Joel McCrea) who works in a restaurant. She escapes home and they marry, she lies about her family. But When Ed learns all about Ellie May's family things are going wrong. A very crude drama who had some problems of distribution at it's time. A nice one. 8/10